Norrington's Loyalities and Destiny
by Paint2ways
Summary: Sequel to my other fic Different Styles of Persuasion. Action and romance between Norrington and OC. A time parallel fic, happens around the time of AWE and after.
1. Preface

Norrington's Loyalties and Destiny

Preface

A/N: 'Norrington's Loyalties and Destiny' (ND) is a sequel to my other fic 'Different Styles of Persuasion.' (DS) It took me longer than I thought it was going to complete it. DS was mostly written before AWE came out in theaters. However, I did not get it finished before AWE did come out. So I had to change my ending a bit for DS to fit what was coming in AWE. The first part of DS was in fact a crazy dream I had. I tried to fit together all the ramblings of my mind in that dream. Then add to it to make it coherent and fit into a story. I had trouble in the first couple of chapters. It is kind of confusing, and I had problems with some wording. I may yet go back and re-word some of DS, but maybe not since it was finished in 2006. Lots happening in the real world and a move from one state to another, I am sure everyone has real world slow downs sometimes...

At the time I started DS, it was going to be that one of my OC's, Niece was going to become involved with Barbossa in the end, and the other OC, Lydia was going to become involved with Will. However, after AWE came out and Norrington was killed off, I changed my mind. Niece, was changed to becoming involved with Norrington. This was because Norrington is one of my favorite characters of the POTC Trilogy, and I was more than a little upset that the writers killed him off. Bad T & T...

So ND is going to be about how Norrington does come back from death, and how Niece and one of the main characters help him do that. DS takes place right after Jack is brought back from Davy Jones' Locker. ND will start from where DS leaves off during the first part of AWE, and will go through and a bit after AWE. ND will deal more with just Norrington, and what he is doing, while the others in AWE do what they do in that movie. Norrington will also do what he does in AWE up to where he dies.

To avoid confusion on which Jack, (Davenport or Sparrow) I was talking about in DS, I used only their character names, even when they were in the 21st century. I will also do that in ND. I also used only the other character names to keep it all uniform. So here is the background of DS. The rest of DS you will find out what you need to know about it in the first chapter:

Niece and Lydia are from the 21st century. They are re-enactors for jousting and knights at Medieval and Renaissance Faires. They also have friends who are re-enactors for pirates. One OC re-enactor named Travis looks a lot like Norrington does, but he dresses as Captain Jack. Niece, the main OC's is attracted to Travis in the 21st century. In fact Travis is a real cousin to Norrington in the real world. But she doesn't find that out until later, to make DS more interesting.

In DS some of the actors from the end of DMC inadvertently went back in time to the 17th century, where the movies and other characters are real. This happened while Jack and Norrington were charging towards one another on horses, next to The Pearl during the shooting of a scene for an imaginary POTC movie, between DMC and AWE. There was a blinding flash as the swords clash and then they were back in the 17th century. Things that happen while they are back in the 17th century should not be changed as it can change the future. It is like what happens in the movie 'Timeline.' Sort of a POTC/Timeline crossover. Although only with POTC characters that are within a certain distance of the clashing swords.

And this is the part that is confusing in DS. So I am going to try and explain it here. They find it is a time parallel, they are there, and they are here at the same time. There are doubles of themselves in the other timeline. So that they don't cease to exist in the timeline they are not in at the moment. So a parallel.

The actors did figure out how to get back to the 21st century, but not to the exact time and place they left it. That exact time and place was during the shooting of a fight scene for that other imaginary POTC movie that takes place right after Jack is rescued from Davy Jones' Locker, but before the Shipwreck Island part of the AWE adventure begins.

What happens is, they always come forward in time, but are a couple of months off in where they left the 21st century. They tried to just go to the place during the shooting, but the doubles of themselves are there, and they are past where they had been shooting that movie. No one recognizes them for who they are. So they are trying to go back and forth, using different items, which they think are the key to getting back, to the exact time and place, they left the 21st century in. They don't find out until the end that the key is Norrington's sword, and not so much anything else they tried.

DS starts in one instance of their back and forth travels. They come back to a point in the 21st century at a medieval faire in Hood River, Oregon. There is no knowing why they came to that place, they just did. The OC's are doing re-enactments for knights at the faire. Niece is a knight called Dame Pegasus, because of a tattoo she has of Pegasus on her right wrist. Lydia is a knight called Dame Einkorn, for a tattoo she has of a unicorn on her shoulder. At this point when the actors came to the 21st century, they think the key may be the speed of the horses they are using. They think the horses in the 17th century aren't fast enough. However they think Niece and Lydia's horses are fast enough because they are used for the jousting part of the knight's exhibition. So they go back to the 17th century and this time take the two OC's with them. They think they need to finish some things back then for the movie before they can come back. They have to follow a script already set, and need a couple of new characters for new parts in that script.

After a lot of persuading, Jack persuades Niece to let him use her horse to try this strategy. Niece and Lydia are talked into going to be the new characters, but mostly because they don't want their horses to go without them. Barbossa persuades Niece to be under his protection while in the 17th century. Then Norrington tries to persuade her to be under his protection. Yes, he is still after Jack, but also the bigger prize of capturing all the pirates for Beckett. So he is doing some spying as a naval officer turned pirate. Just as in DMC the pirates don't entirely trust him, and he doesn't trust them either. He is at a crossroads in his loyalties. Norrington is still undecided where his loyalties lie in ND.

Niece finds out that she is also known as Captain Pegasus, because of the small tattoo of Pegasus on her wrist. She finds she is the captain of her own pirate ship, The Thunder of Zeus, or more commonly called The Zeus. Jack sees her tattoo first and tells her to keep the information from Barbossa because of his animosity toward Pegasus. Jack knows they need her and her ship to go to Shipwreck Island, which will be explained in ND. She will be on her own ship in ND, the reason for this, is so that I don't have to borrow too much from AWE for my own fic.

Back to DS. The other characters think Norrington and Niece are dead after being swept overboard in a storm. They do search for weeks for the two, but never find them. So the other actors do end the imaginary movie they are in, and do return to their place in time in the 21st century, after discovering the key to coming back to the right place in the 21st century they left is Norrington's sword. This leaves Norrington and Niece stuck in the 17th century. As well as Will, who gets pushed outside the area that they need to be in, to be transported to the 21st century.

Niece does end up married to Norrington when they think that they are stuck back in the 17th century. Niece discovers that Will is in fact the Will from the 21st century. The actors of the 21st century also discover that the Will that is in the 21st century isn't the one they have been going through all the time travel with.

The script that all the actors are to follow while back in the 17th century can be deviated from a little. I did this to keep their private lives in the 21st century, still in their minds, when they are back in the 17th century. Things they need to consider, like being responsible for their actions. And what consequences those actions may have on the 21st century. Also the consequences it may have on their own lives, and the ones they love, when they get back to the 21st century. The script that they talk about in DS does end at the end of that fic. And neither Norrington nor Will have seen very much of the AWE script yet.

That about does it for a background of DS.

I hope you enjoy ND. Happy reading!


	2. Chapter 1  Remembering Recent Events

Disclaimer: I do not own anything except my OC's, a couple of horses and a ship that came from my imagination. All the rest belongs to Disney, as it should. T & T did a fantastic job on the first two. I loved CotBP and DMC, however I am not sure about AWE. My opinion is still out until Norrington is brought back in POTC 4?…. Hint, Hint, T & T….

Norrington's Loyalties and Destiny

Chapter 1

Remembering Recent Events

Commodore James Norrington and his new wife Niece were from the twenty-first century, but they were currently in the seventeenth century. They had just been through a very difficult ordeal, and the last thing either of them wanted was for James to be summoned to Lord Beckett's office, again. Beckett had summoned James as soon as he learned that they were due to arrive in Port Royal. James had obediently gone to Beckett's office first thing, when setting foot on the ground, from the ship they had been on. Beckett had not left them any time to their selves for the week they had been back in Port Royal. He was constantly summoning James to his office. Niece was beginning to think Beckett was jealous that James had married, when Beckett wanted full control of James and his actions.

They were lying in bed. Niece on her side facing away from James, and James spooned against her, with an arm casually wrapped around her midriff. A scratch sounded at the door, James rolled over in the bed, making sure the blanket was covering both he and Niece, as he did. Then bid, "Enter."

The housekeeper, Mrs. Higgins entered. "Sorry to bother you my Lord, but, Lord Beckett has sent a message by way of Lieutenant Groves, that you are to go to him immediately."

James sighed heavily. "Well, I guess I had better ring for Harper. You better leave us, if you do not want to be embarrassed by my nudity Mrs. Higgins." Mrs. Higgins frowned and shook her head. She could not get used to the lordship's speaking so openly.

"If you want to be decently clad before Harper gets here Darlin', I suggest you call for your maid." He turned to Niece and smiled, slapping her on the rump, as she crawled out of bed. Niece jumped, but slapped back at her husband. Mrs. Higgins frowned again at James' conduct. Then she said she would send Isabella up to help her Lady dress as she nodded and backed out of the room shutting the door.

Niece still wasn't used to a ladies maid waiting on her, and started to get dressed herself. And she certainly wasn't used to being called Milady. In fact she really didn't like it at all. She sighed, they were here, and there was no getting back to where they belonged, until she and James came up with a way. So she might as well make the best of it.

Niece thought of the quiet times, when they had been on the deserted island for several weeks. That was after being swept over board from The Black Pearl during a bad storm. Things sure weren't the same since they had made their way back to Port Royal. Beckett summoned at all hours of the day and night. She wished now they had stayed on the island.

Her thoughts continued as she got dressed. They had waited on the island long enough to make sure that Barbossa or Jack weren't coming to rescue them. In that time James had convinced Niece that they were stuck in the seventeenth century. He thought that they should make the best of it. That included that they marry. That way they would have someone who knew what their real story was.

James in addition pointed out, that in the seventeenth century, any woman being alone on a deserted island with a man for even a day, would have her honor severely compromised, even if nothing had happened on the island, but something had happened between them. It had taken weeks of her refusing his advances, before she had fallen to his easy charm, his kind and gentle ways. She had always been a sucker for that deep dreamy voice of his and his expressive sea green eyes.

The deciding factor after they got off the island was that James had made sure a priest knew she had been alone with him on an island for weeks. They had been married immediately. They had eventually made it to Nassau port, where it was still thought that James was a Commodore in the Royal Navy. James found passage to Port Royal, where he had a big home called Norrington Manor. She was surprised, but not so much, since she had been in the manor before, but under duress, when James had kidnapped her from right under the noses of Barbossa, Jack, and Will. He had planned to use her as leverage to get Jack to come so he could catch him. But Jack had managed to keep out of James' hands and get her out of them as well. It seemed like eons ago, but it had only been a couple of months.

She mentally shook herself when she was done dressing. It hadn't taken her long to get ready, for she refused to wear all the clothes required of the time. It was bad enough with all that material from her dresses. She constantly stepped on the hems, tripping herself more than a few times. James had bought only what was necessary to get by as a woman from this era. She refused to wear a corset among other things. Plus, it was hot here, and all that material, made it sometimes unbearably warm under them.

This made her think fondly of the friends she had made and her best friend Lydia. All their friends had made it back to the twenty-first century. Niece had found out after getting back to Port Royal from Will, that the others must have gotten back to the time they belonged in. The only reason Will was still here, was that he had unintentionally been pushed outside the limit of area that would take him with the others. Will thought that everyone except the three of them were back where they belonged in the twenty-first century. Hopefully, Barbossa, Jack and the others knew Will hadn't gone back and would come for him. In the process find James and her also. Will said they had searched for weeks for both of them after the storm. They all had thought she and James were dead. Will had even thought they were, until Niece had come across Will in a secret cove she'd known about.

Isabella arrived and scratched at the door. Niece had just finished dressing and told her that she didn't require her services. That she could get back to her other duties. Harper was right on Isabella's heels. As James had help from his valet, to change from his dressing robe into his Commodore's uniform, Niece said, "I am going to go check on the staff and see if they need anything."

"I pay them well to work in the Manor. You do not have to help. It seems to unnerve the housekeeper," James said over his shoulder, as Harper, his valet tried to put the finishing touches to the white periwig she hated that James had to wear. James and Harper exchanged a look. James had told her several times during the week they had been at Norrington Manor that Harper did not approve of the '_Lady'_ of the house helping the hired help. That it just was not done.

*_'He looks so much better without that nasty white thing on top of his head.'* _She thought as she paused before going out the door. Her eyes narrowed at the smug smile on Harper's face. She and Harper still didn't see eye to eye on the matter. She caught Harper's eyes, and smiled haughtily as she purred, "And I told you that I would continue to help. Mrs. Higgins has assured me that it is no bother to her if I help. She sympathizes with the fact that I am bored to tears with nothing to do. Another thing, the periwig needs to go, you don't have to wear it. You could start a new dress code." She made another jab at Harper.

"Do as you will then darlin'. I will think on the periwig. You know you could always get a horse from the stables again and ride during the days. That would save Harper from undue worry." James husky voice drawled. She got goose bumps. Damn the man, he knew how to use his distinctive voice and accent to make her forget everything. The deep timbre and hint of other innuendos it held. They had just spent the night not sleeping because of his voice and promises.

She mentally shook herself. "James, I think you have hit on the perfect idea. However, I will continue to help the staff, since it does make Harper uncomfortable," she replied, her eyes twinkling at James and then a smug look at Harper. Harper sniffed and lifted his nose a notch.

She had been looking for an excuse to get over to the other side of the island to talk to Will again anyway before she was supposed to meet him. She hoped he was still there with the crew of The Zeus. And the up side of it was that she could get another dig in at Harper. She absolutely refused to ride in anything other than breeches. Being from the twenty-first century, she had never gotten the hang of riding in a long skirt and sidesaddle, and she had tried. But it wasn't the same without the horse she rode being her Paint filly, Hood River Breeze aka Whitney. Her eyes stung and she got a faraway look in her eyes.

This made her think with fondness of the others that had come to this timeline parallel. Barbossa, Jack, Liz, Tia, Gibbs, Cotton, Marty, Pintel, Ragetti, her best friend Lydia and her horse Buzz, even Whitney, had all traveled here too. She rubbed the tattoo as she thought of her family, friend Lydia, and her horses. Her eyes misted and she swiped her hand at them as she thought of her horses. She missed them both, but Whitney more, since she was the one that had come back to this time with her. She hoped that her both of them were with her family. On second thought, she knew her family in California could not keep the horses. Hopefully, Lydia had taken them back to Oregon with her, if she was indeed back in the 21st century.

The most exciting thing about her being in this century was that she owned her own ship. The Thunder of Zeus, she was captain of it. And the best part was that she was a well known pirate captain known as Pegasus. The only problem with being Captain Pegasus was that she had a tattoo of Pegasus on her right wrist. She had it from her timeline, where she did re-enactments as a knight in Medieval Faires. But the tattoo in this time was her sign that she was indeed a female pirate captain, and a very well known pirate captain. She had to keep the tattoo hidden, which proved hard to do at times. She turned and slipped out the door, as she saw James watching her in the looking glass with a sad expression on his face. He mouthed, 'I'm sorry' to her as she shut the door.

The day after she and James had arrived back in Port Royal, she had wanted to see if Whitney had been left behind. She had waited until James had been summoned to Beckett's office before leaving. She still wasn't sure where James' loyalties were, he seemed at a crossroads about them. That was when she had ridden to the cove where the horses had been left to see if they were still there. Whitney was gone, but she found out Will had been left behind also. He had been at the cove with her ship and The Pearl. It was best to keep all that a secret for now. James knew Will had been left behind, but that was all. Will knew they were into the script for AWE, and said they had to stay with the script again. And that it was not Commodore Norrington's destiny to be with Captain Pegasus. She had a feeling of dread that James' destiny would not be to her liking.

James knew she was Pegasus, and it had to be an added burden for him to carry, working for Beckett, after the storm that made him lose his crew, ship, and commission with the Royal Navy. However, James did not know that the crews of The Pearl and The Zeus used a cove on the other side of the mountain, at times when secrecy was needed to get into Port Royal unseen by the crews. So she had waited until James had gone that day, got a bay Thoroughbred gelding called Shadow, out of James' stable, and rode to the place on the other side of Jamaica where the horses had been left, so long before the storm that left them here.

Of course, the nosey Harper had seen her ride off and had wasted no time in telling James she had taken a horse and was riding in breeches. James had laughed when he confronted her that evening, but said she did need to make some concessions being stuck in this century. They hadn't argued for long and in the end, she had won out and would ride in breeches when not going into Port Royal, she agreed and would take the carriage then.

All of the crew of The Pearl did know that she was in fact Pegasus now. Jack had seen the tattoo of Pegasus on her right wrist shortly after they had come to the seventeenth century. But he had told her to keep it just between them. It had to do with Barbossa and a script, which by now was finished. James had learned who she was when James, she and Jack had, had to go forward to the twenty-first century, to get proper medical attention when she had been wounded. All of them decided that she had to be taken forward to get that proper medical help. Although, she'd had no say in it, she had been delirious with fever from and infection in the wound at the time.

After she got better, they had come back to this time, and had no sooner gotten back than Barbossa inadvertently saw the tattoo. He had not been happy that Pegasus was a woman. He had not been happy that it had been kept from him. He had not been happy that James was still with them. But after a little persuasion, Jack and Will style, Barbossa had acquiesced. Barbossa admitted that he needed her ship, for plans he had, before and after the meeting of The Brethren Court at Shipwreck Island.

She had been surprised to find that her own ship The Zeus was at the cove when she rode Shadow down to the shore the first day back. She stopped at the hidden meadow first and looked through the horses there. She was disappointed that her horse was not there.

Will had seen her ride out onto the beach and had come ashore off The Zeus, with Pintel and Ragetti. She had known something was different as soon as she walked the horse up to them. But Will calmed her fears, when he motioned for her to tell Ragetti and Pintel to mind the boat. Will had walked up and took a hold of the reins to walk them off a ways before he spoke to her. That was when she found out that Will thought the others must have made it back to the twenty-first century. That he had been shoved outside the area that transported them back and forth, so that he was still stuck in the seventeenth century with her and James.

Niece had always been a thinker, it got her into trouble sometimes, and almost always gave her a headache. But it was a habit she did anyway. She was in her usual thinking mode, as she strolled down the stairs. She put a finger to her horse necklace and then ran it back and forth on its chain. She always did this when she was thinking. She smiled as she remembered how erotic not only James thought it was, but so did Jack and Barbossa.

She didn't know much about her husband's past here. It was obvious that he must have come from, or earned his own money. For his house was of the Caribbean style plantation manor house with sugar cane fields on the side away from town. It was on a hill outside of town, so it was secluded a bit. It had very fragrant Gardenia, Hibiscus, Honeysuckle, Jasmine and some other flowers that she couldn't name around outside. There were the usual Palm trees and some other broadleaf trees that she had never seen before. James had servants, and they did call him Lord Norrington. But that could mean he was a younger son to someone in the realm of King George. For now she wouldn't think of it. It always gave her a headache. She would think about it later. Right now she would wait for James to leave and then ride to the other side of the mountain to the cove.

She looked down at her clothes. For now she was comfortable with her appearance, and that she could pass as someone born of this century. She idly walked down the stairs from the right side to the landing, and then down the rest of the stairs to the entry. She went through the long dining room, and out through a breezeway to the kitchen. She'd learned that because of the heat the kitchens were separated from the main house, to keep the manor cooler. The huge Palm trees swayed in the light breeze. She looked out over Port Royal, down the side of the hill that dropped away steeply for about fifty feet from the manor. Her eyes followed the road from the manor winding its way past the governor's mansion to the town. Elizabeth and Governor Swan had lived there until Beckett had taken over.

She frowned and then smiled as she remembered the first time she had been brought here. It had been belly down across Whitney's shoulders. James had grabbed her as soon as they had gotten to the seventeenth century. He wanted to use her as leverage to get Jack to come for her. James knew Jack and that honest streak, and that his conscious would not let James keep her. James had pulled her fighting up the staircase, and shoved her into a small room that looked out over that steep bank toward Port Royal. It had been a battle of wits. That ended, when James kissed her while she slept, to ruin her reputation. Of course he left the door open so one of his servants saw the kiss. As he had wanted he ruined her reputation enough that Jack would come for her. James didn't realize that Jack wouldn't come himself, he would be recognized too easily. Jack had sent Gibbs, Pintel and Marty and had waited down the road. James should have known that even with Jack's honest streak, and sense of decency, that he would not put himself in a position to be caught again.

Niece saw to things in the kitchen and waited for James to leave for Beckett's office. He stopped in the breezeway, catching her eye. She ran a finger over the horse necklace and James sea green eyes narrowed as he sucked in his breath. She swayed up to him, he seized her arms, and brought his lips crashing down on hers. She gave in to his demand, he backed her against a wall, and plundered her mouth like any good pirate would.

"You should know what that does to me Darlin'" James drawled in her ear, as he slowly released her.

She giggled a little, raising her eyebrows as she peered at him from under her lashes, "Why do you think I do it?"

"Mmmm,' he grinned a one sided grin, "It works well. You try and be a good girl, while I am gone." He said, as he slapped her on the bottom and took his leave.

She wasted no time in hiking her skirts up to her knees, running through the house, and taking the stairs two at a time.


	3. Chapter 2  The Meeting With Will

Norrington's Loyalties and Destiny

Chapter 2

Meeting More Than Will

Niece made sure that no one saw her run out to the stables and around back. She kept close to the bushes and trees by the stables. She pulled up short as she started to round the corner to the back of the stable. Afraid she would be seen by the grooms and coachmen behind the coach house. They were busy cleaning up one of the coaches and didn't look her way. But she ducked back and went around to the front instead. She noticed James' stallion was gone and deduced he must have ridden to see Beckett. The same bay gelding, Shadow was there that she had used last time. She chose him for two reasons, he was fast, and his dark reddish brown and black color wouldn't stand out so much against the green of the foliage. She pulled him out of the stall, then threw a saddle and bridle on him, jumped on, and rode quietly out the front. She kept to the soft grass to the side of the road.

Once she was on the road she nudged him into a canter and headed for the overgrown trail that led to the cove. She almost past the trailhead it was so overgrown. Once under the canopy of wild jasmine, honeysuckle and mangroves she slowed to a trot. Shadow's hoof beats silenced by the mulching vegetation that had given up life. She didn't get far when a horse and rider showed in the trail ahead of her. She startled at first, trying to leg cue the horse into the shadows. Forgetting that the horse was not from the 21st century, it had no idea that the leg pressure on one of his sides was the cue for him to move sideways away from the pressure. She pulled him to the side with the reins instead. Until she recognized by the way the man sat his horse, that it was Will. She nudged Shadow on and pulled up next to him.

"I was on my way to the cove to talk to you. I was hoping that you would be there," she crossed her hands, leaning on her horse's withers.

"Things have happened. Things you need to know as Pegasus. First that your husband is finding out right about now that he has been promoted to Admiral. He is going to be forced to go with Davy Jones on The Dutchman, to make sure Jones stays under Beckett's control."

Will kept looking at the Hibiscus beside the road, instead of at her, before continuing. "There have been agreements and bargains reached, agreements and bargains broken. No one trusts anyone else. The pirate lords are on their way to the meeting at Shipwreck Cove now. The Pearl and Zeus included, The Zeus went on ahead, because The Pearl needed a supply of fresh water. Jack and Barbossa went on shore since neither wanted the other left on The Pearl, and left me temporarily in charge."

Niece snorted, "Jack _and_ Barbossa left you in charge?" Will continued looking at the Hibiscus, which told Niece that he wasn't done yet. But she wasn't ready for what he said next.

Will jerked his head up and looked at her, "Yes. And then I lead a mutiny against the crew of The Pearl. I needed The Pearl to find my father." His eyes sad, but also angry. Niece's eyebrows rose, and she tilted her head to the side her lips forming the words, _'Oh dear.'_

Will continued, "Seo Feng caught The Pearl off the island where we were getting the fresh water. Evidently, Beckett went back on a bargain with Seo Feng. So Barbossa saw that as an opportunity to make a bargain with Seo Feng, he traded Elizabeth, who Seo Feng thinks is Calypso….."

"Wait, stop, this is confusing. Why would Seo Feng think that?" Niece butt in.

"Barbossa told him we have Calypso, Seo Feng just took it upon himself to believe she is Elizabeth," Will shrugged. "I tried to talk Elizabeth out of going with Seo Feng. But she said if it freed the rest of us she would go. Seo Feng also told Jack he was going to see an old friend." Will stopped again, looking at her from under his eyebrows.

"Continue," Niece rubbed her temples, taking all this in.

"Jack's _'old friend'_ sailed up, it was Beckett. Beckett took Jack on board The Endeavor. Mercer stayed onboard The Pearl, which Seo Feng had agreed would be mine. But he had Elizabeth and me taken away and chained. But Beckett went back on his agreement with Seo Feng and was going to keep The Pearl, since it was the only ship fast enough to keep up with The Dutchman. Seo Feng took Elizabeth to his ship The Empress. He then fired on The Pearl and got away. Jack managed to get back on board The Pearl, called me a pestilent, traitorous, cow hearted, yeasty codpiece, and had me sent to the brig." Will stopped talking as Niece tried to hide her giggles behind a hand.

Niece's horse moved under her, and then jumped when Will barked menacingly, "What is so funny?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't help it, that is just like Jack. He knows you could get out quickly," she said behind her hand, to hide her smile.

"Yes, well, it might have been because he found out the bargain I made with Seo Feng for The Pearl to free my father," Will ground out.

"Most likely."

"I did get out quickly. Jack was waiting for me and said as much about figuring I would get out quickly. He came down from where he'd been waiting, while I was sending a bread crumb trail to Beckett. Jack breathed in my face when he said it and I fell overboard," Will stopped as he knew Niece was going to need to get that bit of information out of her system.

Niece snorted, trying not to laugh. It didn't work. She rolled with laughter. Her eyes started watering. She put one hand up to wipe at the tears and the other over her stomach, because it hurt so much from laughing. The horse moved uneasily under her and she put a leg against him, to move him back over. Again she had to move him over with the reins.

When she finally subsided enough, Will continued. "Beckett followed the trail and picked me up. We came here back to Port Royal. The Pearl is gone, The Zeus is gone. I see a big battle that will decide all of this. All this, and I am still trying to find a way for the three of us to get back to the time we belong in," Will looked down at his hands and back up at her.

"I understand, you have to free your father. So long as it doesn't hurt any of us. But if it does you will have me to deal with. And I understand that we are into the third movie and must follow the script. It would be nice if I knew what that was," she frowned. Not liking how Will avoided looking directly at her.

"Yes, it must be done as it is written. Maybe it would be better if you didn't know. It may keep you safe. And stay as far away from Barbossa as you can, he knows you and Norrington are married. He isn't happy to say the least," Will pursed his lips, looking directly into her eyes.

"I see your point. I guess this is good bye for a while then?" She wasn't going to let him know that she would find a way to be with James. She knew what most of Davy Jones crew looked like. She had dressed up for Halloween a lot, and knew what to do to make a costume.

"Yes, I will get in touch with you as soon as I can," Will nodded as he turned his horse back toward Port Royal.

Niece returned home to await James' return with his news. She managed to sneak back into the house and change clothes. She had time before she thought James should be back. She began collecting things for her costume. She didn't know how much time she was going to have, before Beckett sent James out to The Flying Dutchman. She wanted to be ready at a moments notice. Fortunately it didn't take her long to get a costume ready. She knew how to sew by hand, and made it a simple costume. As if she hadn't been in Davy's crew long enough, to get too sea creature looking yet. Just enough costume to hide her identity.

James was not in a good mood when he got home that evening. He told her exactly what Will had told her, and that he suspected, that Beckett was going to try and ambush the pirates at Shipwreck Cove.


	4. Chapter 3 Must Follow The Script

**A/N: **I see someone is reading my fic. I hope you are enjoying ND so far. Please send a few reviews my way. This fic is not going to be as long as Different Styles of Persuasion my prequel to this fic. It is just to finish off from where DS left off.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything to do with the POTC characters or the movies. Disney does. I do not own the lines I borrowed from Gone With The Wind

Chapter 3

Must Follow The Script

Niece listened to James' deeply pained voice, as Harper was helping James changing into his new uniform, "Beckett wants me to leave for The Dutchman immediately. I am sorry we only had a couple of weeks as newlyweds my love, but I must do as I am bid. I already have suspicions about Beckett's purpose. Maybe my being there will make things easier. We have to follow the…" His hand waved in the air and made small writing gestures, watching Harper as he did so. Harper paid no attention and continued with the last touches to James' appearance.

"I understand," she replied softly, her eyes going first to Harper, then down at her clasped hands in her lap. She was afraid that James could see right through her if she looked at him. Hoping he would think she was just distraught that they would be separated. And not that she had an ulterior motive to follow him and board The Dutchman.

"All done Admiral," Harper spoke through his nose, as he tidied up the room, leveling a distaining look at Niece. Harper did not like her way of helping with household duties. He thought she should be the _Grand Lady_ and do nothing. But being raised in the 21st century, she got board at times, so she helped out here and there.

There was a scratching at the door, and Mrs. Higgins voice came from the other side of it. "My Lord, Lt. Groves is here to beg you hurry."

"Let the Lt. know I will be right down Mrs. Higgins. That is all Harper, you may leave us," James said with a flourish of his hand.

He walked over and pulled her gently to her feet, holding her close as he borrowed a line from _'Gone With The Wind,'_ "Now come here so you can give me a proper kiss goodbye."

"Don't say that, it is bad luck. It is not goodbye, it is I will see you again soon," she whispered, as she hungrily accepted his kiss.

"Stay here, you will be safe here. I will come for you after I have finished what needs to be finished and I find Will. We will talk about what has happened here, and how that may affect us. Then we will make plans to try and get back." He kissed her again, more demanding this time than before, brushing his lips across her forehead as he turned to take his leave.

As she did before, as soon as James left the house, she followed him to the door. She looked out the window as he mounted his stallion and rode away with Lt. Groves. Then she hiked up her skirts and ran up the stairs to grab the things she had hidden to turn her into a Dutchman creature. She debated changing into pants and a shirt, but thought better of it. She may not have enough time to get into town and change again, when she arrived at the hidden boat she had to get her out to The Dutchman.

Good thing it was getting dark out, she thought as she scurried from shadow to shadow on her way to the stable. She wouldn't think of what she would have had to do if it was daylight out. She hoped that no one had unsaddled Shadow. She had left him in his stall with his saddle on, since no one had been at the stable, when she returned from her rendezvous with Will. Unfortunately one of the grooms must have unsaddled him. She decided to just put a bridle on him, and ride him bareback down to the harbor.

She pulled him out of the stall and over next to a bench, hiked up her skirts, and stepped up onto the bench. Shadow tried to sidle away from her, so she quickly slid her leg over his back. Even though she had a troublesome feeling in the back of her mind, about horses in this century not being used to being ridden bareback with a dress on. Just as she got on him, he ducked his head and started bucking. She tried to pull his head up to stop him. She was an excellent rider, but from her century on horses from her century. Except when they bucked, she was the first one to admit, that she could not stay on a horse long if it started bucking. No matter what century it was. Unfortunately the same thing happened here, even though she tried to pull his head up to stop his bucking. The second jump she was tossed unceremoniously off the right side, into a heap of fabric, legs and arms into a wall, with a puff of dust and a _'woof' _sound emanating from her lips.

"I am sure you haven't heard of _'Alpo.'_ But in a word, if you don't let me on your back in these skirts, you are going to become dog food," she grumbled as she got her wind back. She quickly grabbed the reins, tying them around a post. "This is not good, horse. I happen to be in a hurry."

She decided it would be faster to put a saddle on him, than try and get on him without one again. She hurried to the tack room, hefted a saddle from one of the racks, and dumped it on his back, not taking time to slowly cinch it up like she usually did. She just yanked the cinch tight and got on. Hoping it wasn't the skirts, but the bareback part that Shadow had the aversion to. Thank goodness it was, because nothing happened. She nudged him with her heels as she turned his nose toward town. They walked in the soft grass until she got far enough away his hoof beats wouldn't be heard at the mansion, and kicked him into a canter.

It took a few minutes to reach the little boat that she had hidden that afternoon, after she got back from talking with Will. Knowing then that she needed to find a way to get out to The Dutchman, before she went back to the mansion before James got home. She also found a couple of small barrels to use as flotation devices, since she always panicked in small boats of she didn't have a life preserver.

She dismounted and tied Shadow to a palm tree. She pushed the leaves and foliage aside to look out at the harbor. She looked up and down the beach before she walked out onto the beach, squinting to see since it was almost dark. The Dutchman was off shore a ways, and there was a lot of lanterns and activity onboard. The Endeavor was closer, but dark and all was quiet. She looked to see that there were bobbing lights of longboats close to The Dutchman, and people going up and down a ladder. They looked to still be loading people or supplies. She had made it in time.

She hurried back through the foliage undoing her dress as she pushed her way through. She got her costume out and changed quickly. She hoped it would be alright, with what she had to work with, it would have to do. She had stripped some palm fronds keeping the part that had the sharp stickers still on them. She sewed them into the sleeves of an old dirty shirt with some padding for the arms. She had also found an old glove in the stable, she had managed to put some crab legs around the fingers that she had found left over from a meal they had. She hoped it made her look like she was turning into a sawfish/crab.

She striped the saddle off the horse, but left him tied for the moment. She didn't want him to get back to the stable before she got far enough out not to be recognized, pouring out some grain to keep him there even longer. She had her hair tied up with a strip of cloth, and tucked all but the ends up under a hat and went to the boat to pull it out to the water. She stopped dead in her tracks. The Dutchman was just getting under sail. "Nooooooo," she groaned, "Damn and double damn."

Her mind worked hastily trying to figure a way to get out to The Dutchman, but it was no use. There just wasn't a way to get to the ship before it was in open seas. She hid the boat again, and saddled Shadow back up. Then went and changed into her dress. She mounted up and started slowly toward the mansion, thinking as she went.

She hadn't got very far when she remembered that Will was still here probably waiting for The Endeavour to get under sail. Obviously it wasn't leaving tonight like The Dutchman did. Maybe she could find him… On second thought, he had told her what was happening to this point. Probably a shortened version, but what she needed to know. She shrugged her shoulders, she needed to '_practice patience' _for now. There was no sense in getting caught talking to the supposed enemy.

She thought back in time for a moment. Lt. Groves had seemed a little in awe of Jack Sparrow. She might be able to get information from him when she needed to. That would be the better thing to do. For the time being she would stay here in Port Royal, riding to the cove every day to see if either The Pearl or The Zeus where there. Knowing Will would come back to either Port Royal or the cove if he had the chance. And knowing James would come back here thinking she would be here, since that is what he had told her to do.

Again she turned Shadow's head toward the mansion, her home for now. She wondered what was happening in the 21st century. What her friends and family were doing, and if the other characters were trying to get back to take them home. She was sure they must be. Her eyes misted, she wiped at them, then she thought, 'there is nothing I can do for now. I must be patient and wait it all out.' Besides, she did think she would eventually get home.

**A/N:** I tried to stay as close to the timeline in AWE that certain things happened. I had to deviate a bit, to make The Endeavour and The Dutchman come back to Port Royal, before going to Shipwreck Cove. And The Pearl and The Zeus be at the small cove on the other side of the island from Port Royal. In order to work it into my story.


End file.
